Realtors press housing priorities in D.C.

Housing affordability and supply are getting renewed attention in Washington as more than 7,000 Realtors® prepare to meet with members of Congress during the National Association of Realtors® Legislative Meetings.

The 2026 Realtor Legislative Meetings, which run until Thursday, include Capitol Hill visits and will focus on federal priorities tied to everyday real estate challenges:

• Expanding inventory and supply
• Updating tax policy to encourage sales
• Protecting professional representation
• Creating new paths to homeownership

NAR said the meetings come as Congress considers bipartisan housing proposals, including the 21st Century Road to Housing Act. The House recently passed an amended version of the bill by a 396-13 vote. The bill now heads back to the Senate, with NAR urging lawmakers to send a final housing package to the president.

Realtors plan to advocate for the More Homes on the Market Act, which would double the capital gains exclusion on the sale of a primary residence and index it to inflation. NAR says the change could encourage more longtime owners to sell, adding inventory for buyers.

Realtors will also ask lawmakers to protect consumers’ ability to work with a real estate professional and preserve the independent contractor model, which NAR says could be affected when labor rules change. The model gives many agents the flexibility to run their businesses and serve buyers and sellers.

Shannon McGahn, NAR executive vice president and chief advocacy officer, said Realtors are helping shape the housing conversation in Washington.

“One of the sayings we use all the time is that if you're not at the table, you are on the menu,” McGahn said on NAR’s Advocacy Scoop podcast. “This is an example of Realtors not being just at the table but setting the table for this debate and this conversation to be happening right now so that we can come to a consensus and get this over the finish line.”

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